


Metamorphosis

by FierySwashbuckler, FluffyKitty (BeadyPenguin)



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-05
Updated: 2015-08-09
Packaged: 2018-04-07 21:11:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4278096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FierySwashbuckler/pseuds/FierySwashbuckler, https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeadyPenguin/pseuds/FluffyKitty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A closer look at the interpersonal relationships on board the Normandy against the backdrop of a reimagining of the Mass Effect story.  The story centres on Shepard’s relationship with Liara, and the challenge of staying together while everything else is falling apart.  The rest of the crew are all along for the ride, and some of them find unexpected comfort in each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: a new Shadow Broker emerges

The Shadow Broker was dead.  All the noise and fury had given over to silence.

Tearful and trembling, Liara looked steadfastly at the ground.  The Shadow Broker had been the target of her rage since she lost the woman she loved.  That rage had both consumed and sustained her.  She had done terrible things.  Some days she hadn’t recognised her own reflection.  And now, as the adrenaline that had fuelled her seeped away, it was replaced by an overwhelming fear that Shepard wouldn’t recognise her either.

Shepard had never seen Liara like this, although she could have said that many times since she found her on Illium.  One thing Liara had never been was blinkered; her curiosity about the universe was one of the many things that Shepard had fallen in love with.  And yet, this whole pursuit had felt like they were hurtling down a tunnel, oblivious to anything but the final goal.  It was obsession, and at some moments the complete disregard for anything other than the objective had sent a chill down her spine. 

But then there was that glimmer, whenever their eyes met, she could still feel the compassion, inquisitive nature and warmth that she knew, the warmth that she believed in.

Liara was still there, beneath the surface.

Nearby, Ferron was barely standing from the injuries sustained during his captivity.

“Joker, I want a medical team here ASAP.  And get me some marines to secure the ship.”

Garrus was sat on the floor, shaking his head slightly from side to side.  She helped him to his feet.  “You in one piece?”

“A couple of knocks, but my rugged charm is still intact.”

The sea of monitors had engulfed Liara.  Time stood still.  Everything she worked for so hard in the last two years, everything she sacrificed, everyone she deceived, threatened and walked over, was for this moment alone.  The Shadow Broker.  He was no longer a threat.  He paid for his transgressions.  Barely even a trace of his existence remained.  Shouldn’t she feel  something now?  At the very least, shouldn’t his annihilation have given her some succour?  She felt nothing.  She was adrift in a frigid sea, the shore was distant, her frozen body would surely drown if she tried to reach it alone.  But though she was surrounded by black, menacing waters, her head was still above them, she could still draw breath.  She had been furiously treading water for years.  She was exhausted now; her head dipped beneath the surface into the blackness.  Cold water filled her lungs.  This was what death felt like, she imagined.

“ Liara ?”

She spluttered.  That voice had stopped her sinking, it raised her out of the water.  Three pairs of eyes were staring at her, but she sought out just one.  Green eyes, irises marbled like malachite, held her gaze, unwavering.  They were a beacon guiding her to shore, but to reach it she would have to find the strength to take a stroke toward it herself.  Could this really be happening?  She looked for familiarity and found it; the kindness in those eyes, the fair skin adorned by freckles, the rebellious red mane, the womanly body, the alert posture.  Doggedly, she started to haul herself through the water, each stroke stronger than the one before.  Her hands found the desk, steadying herself.  She was vaguely conscious of the door opening and closing again, of the sounds of footsteps and conversations, but her reality at this moment was anchored in those green eyes.

Feron was stretchered to the Normandy for treatment.  Garrus organised the marines into teams to sweep the ship for any remaining hostile forces.

Blue eyes burst into tears.  “It’s over.”  She sank to her knees.  A chapter had drawn to a close.  Strong arms swept her up off the ground.  Sobbing, she buried herself in the crook of that fair neck, finding herself reborn amongst the sweet smell of the skin.

The sobbing, hitching breaths were hot against her neck.  She held her tightly, sadly noting the form in her arms felt so much more fragile than it had before… everything.  She could easily count the ribs beneath her hands.  “It’s alright,” she repeated in whispers.  Their lips touched, briefly.  Too briefly; Shepard placed her hands on Liara’s shoulders and squeezed gently.  It pained her to see Liara back away, fresh tears in her eyes.

“It’s been so long-” Liara mumbled.

A kiss interrupted her.  Fair skinned hands held her face, thumbs at the corner of her mouth.  Liara turned, just enough to press her nose and mouth into the palm that had been caressing her cheek.  The familiar scent comforted her and her body relaxed, ever so slightly.

Instinctively, Shepard began to stroke Liara’s forearms.  It was immediately reciprocated, just as instinctively.  A silent, elegant expression of all of the things they wanted to say and a reassurance for all of the things they were afraid to say.

Foreheads touched.  “I’ve missed you.  I’ve missed you so much.”

“Let’s get out of here.”

Shepard was acutely aware of Liara’s presence in the airlock.  It had only been a few days since she had ordered Liara into an escape pod, and yet two years had passed for everyone else.  It was obvious that those years had been difficult and have left scars of their own.  Did Liara still want her now?  The kiss that lingered on her lips- was it simply a case of getting caught up in the moment?  The airlock was taking an eternity to pressurise.  She wanted to be alone with her, talk to her, hold her.  She sighed impatiently.

This was completely surreal, Liara thought.  She was waiting to board a ship that had blown up before her eyes more than two years ago, standing just a few inches apart from a woman she had watched die in the wasteland of space.  It wasn’t the same Normandy, of course.  It was a different ship that had been made to resemble the original Normandy.  Was the woman within touching distance simply a facsimile of the original too?  Was it even possible for her to be the same Shepard?  She hoped so.  She believed so.  The lips that had touched hers felt like Emily’s: real and warm and loving.  But people don’t just come back to life, do they?

They stole a glance at one another at the same time.  Their hands brushed together, as if pulled magnetically toward each other.  Finally the airlock opened.  Shepard stepped across the threshold.

Liara hesitated.  For too long, she had relied upon her anger and need for vengeance to keep her going.  Rage had smothered everything else.  A part of her wanted to run back to the Shadow Broker’s ship right then and there because it never wanted to experience the pain of losing Emily again.  But laying herself open, risking that pain again, was a necessary part of feeling love.  And more than anything else, that’s what she wanted- her love with Emily back.  Aware that several of the bridge crew were now watching the emotions warring on her face, she managed to subdue the darkest of her thoughts.  Something she had learned from Emily was that humour was an effective tool, even in the bleakest of situations.  With deliberate formality, she asked, “Permission to come aboard, Commander?”

Shepard smiled.  Continuing the joke, she gave the impression of seriously considering the request, stroking her chin thoughtfully as if weighing up the options.  Impulsively, she pulled Liara close to her.

Shepard kissed her.  “Always.”

Knowing smiles passed between members of the bridge crew.  Before sailing on waves of increasing lust, they both became aware of the benevolent gazes upon them - a silent blessing from their friends and comrades.

Joker was less silent.  “Don’t mind me, I’m just flying the ship.  And I’m totally not distracted right now.”

Shepard smiled against Liara’s lips.  She gave her hand another squeeze.

“Well maybe you should look at what’s in front you, rather than what’s behind you?”

“Say, I don’t know what you two have planned for this evening, but I’ve got a copy of  Vaenia .”  His eyebrows waggled suggestively.

Chuckling, Shepard walked behind the flight-chair and spun it around, redirecting Joker’s focus.  “Aren’t you supposed to be flying the ship?”

“Aye aye, Commander.”

Liara wandered through Shepard’s cabin.  There was a picture of her next to the computer on the desk.  And another on the bedside table.  She picked one up.

“That was when you took me to the Presidium.”

“Yeah.”

Liara watched the fish gliding through the water, envious of how effortless they made it look.  A warm body held her from behind, a pair of hands meeting across her middle.  It was suddenly very claustrophobic.  She stepped out of the embrace.  She took something from a pocket beneath the breastpiece of her armour.  The sound of metal sliding against metal cut the silence.  She held it in her palm and stared at it for a moment.  “Your tags, from...” the rest of the sentence hung in the air.

“Thank you.”  Stiffly, she set the tags down on her desk and yearned for Liara’s warmth.  Two years was a long time to expect to waltz back into someone’s life and just pick up where you left off.  Was the woman before her even available to resume their dance?  “I’m glad Feron’s safe.”

A multitude of thoughts pounded through her head like a herd of demented buffalo.  None of these thoughts could be wrestled into conversation.  She stared out of the window, counting the stars, trying to make sense of what happened until now.

“Liara...”

She was simply numb.  Unable to respond, to think, to truly comprehend the situation.  Suddenly, she was no longer staring absently at the stars, she was looking into soft green eyes.

“Can I hold you?”  A mute nod invited a curiously formal embrace.  They stood cheek to cheek, Shepard’s hands massaging warmth into the drained body before her.

Cuddling in armour was not the most satisfying way to embrace.  The hard, protective plates on their suits squeaked when they rubbed together.  They both yearned to feel the softness beneath.

“Let’s get a little more comfortable.”

Shepard freed Liara from her metal shell.  Liara tried to remember the knack to unclasping a particularly recalcitrant fastening, the frustration elicited a groan.

“The Alliance should upgrade its armour design.”

“You press it here, remember?  And then the whole thing just comes off.”

Their bodies pressed against each other.  Strong hearts beat against gentle breasts.  It had been a tremendous struggle for Shepard to resist becoming too amorous, but those soulful sapphire pools she was gazing into were inviting her resolve to melt.  She cradled her face in her hands.

The sapphire eyes closed, how they had missed these hands touching her.  A kiss graced her forehead.  Then her nose.  Then her lips.  Elegant fingers caressed the furrows between her tentacles.

“I love you.”

Liara was undone by those words.  Her hands reached up and ran through fiery hair.  She delighted in the texture of the strands which fell about her fingers, so soft and delicate.  Her hands explored the face they held, rediscovering it, reaffirming that the woman in front of her was flesh and blood, that this wasn’t just another dream from which she would be violently ripped in the morning.  Her fingers alighted on red, kiss-swollen lips.  Her breath hitched.  “Kiss me.”  Their mouths, lips and tongues met passionately.  Wisps of biotic energy began to swirl around the couple.

Shepard’s hands ran underneath Liara’s shirt, a prelude to lifting it off.  “May I?” she breathed against her mouth.

“Please.”

Between kisses and caresses, they became divested of their clothes.  Liara made a small sound of joy when she uncovered Shepard’s freckles.  She wanted to kiss them all.  Her lips touched them lovingly.  Now naked, they stood before each other, both unashamedly drinking in the sight of their partner, savouring their beauty.  

Shepard lifted Liara, perching her on the desk.  “I’ve been waiting to do this since Illium.”  She began kissing at the folds around her neck, teasing it with light touches of her lips, while her hands stroked the smooth skin on her thighs.

It felt so good; she wanted more.  She threw her head back, inviting more of the wonderful kisses she was receiving.  She had forgotten how sensitive she was, and how adept her partner was.  This was a wonderful reminder of both of those facts.  The thick red hair that tangled in her fingers tickled her breasts.  The coarser, darker hair between Shepard’s legs brushed against her knee.  It was just too much.  Two years of loneliness and longing were eviscerated by the reawakening of desire.  The climax was upon her before she realised.  Just as her eyes pooled into black, she gently tugged the red hair, so that their eyes might bore into each other for a few sweet seconds before hers closed involuntarily.

Still trembling, she slipped off the desk into a tight embrace.  Her skin, nestled against the bare skin of her lover, sang in delight.  Her hands ran up and down the fair, supple arms that held her.  Her fingertips experienced an electrifying thrill as they danced over the smattering of fine, light hairs on Shepard's forearms.  A shiver passed through them.

"Goosebumps."  That's what the little dimples that had appeared beneath her fingertips were, she recalled.

"You always give me goosebumps."

She did.  She remembered it now.  Goosebumps were just one of many memories that she had carefully packed into a box, locked up and suppressed in the darkest recesses of her mind.  The lid creaked open, just enough for a ray of light to pierce the darkness.  Inside the box were things that made her happy beyond measure.  It was time to reclaim them.

Suddenly their lips were touching again, opening, inviting each other in.  Liara's hands lost themselves in the wild red hair, another memory she had consigned to the box.  Her fingers came across something unexpected, unfamiliar.  There was scar tissue around Emily's hairline.  It hadn't been there before...  “ Goddess-”

Strong hands caught hers and took them elsewhere.  "Can you feel that?"

It was a thriving heartbeat.

"I feel it."

"And this?"

Emily squeezed her bottom, pulling them into a very intimate contact.  The hair between Emily's legs rubbed against her so sensually.  The box had been flung open.  She gasped in unabashed pleasure.  She had always been fascinated by Emily's hair; not simply how it looked, but how it felt to touch, to smell, to taste.  It was exotic and erotic.  

"Yes.  Oh, Goddess, yes."

Craving more of this feeling, she pushed herself into a fuller contact.  The slight movement in their position sent a waft of a delicate musk upwards.  It was a heavenly scent, one which she recognised instantly.  She inhaled deeply.

"I want you."

They were on the bed, blue eyes hovering barely an inch above green.  Hot breath came thick and fast through their mouths.  They shared the same air.  Breasts and bellies poured over and around each other.  Their sex moved to and fro against the other.  Liara's hips rolled her into Emily, causing her voluptuous bottom to ripple with exertion.

They were melting together, the wet heat of their centres swirling, churning, melding them into a single entity.  The cerulean gaze poured into the malachite eyes.

"Embrace eternity."

Their individual feelings became suffused with the feelings of the other.  They were both so tantalisingly close to release.  Biotic energy lapped around them; a shroud that sequestered them from the rest of the universe.  Nothing else but their joined minds and joined bodies existed.

Liara's motions grew more fervent with the increasing intensity of the throbbing of Emily's pearl against her own.  Her lips captured the mouth below her, as if reclaiming territory.  The kiss was deep and passionate, their tongues engaged in a serenade.

"Come for me."

Their fingers intertwined tightly.  The gasps and moans that Emily was making, the way she was fighting to keep looking into her eyes, were all familiar signs that she was moments away from surrender.

Her eyes started to widen.  Her breathing became faster and more ragged.  Her grip tightened on the hands holding hers.  Just for a second, she went completely limp before a tremendously powerful wave coursed through, rendering her temporarily insensible.

"I love you."  It was the first coherent utterance Shepard made several minutes later.  Liara was still undulating against her gently.  "Don't stop.  I want you to come."

It was so deliciously wet, she couldn't have stopped.  She gazed down into a flushed face with pupils so dilated the eyes might have been black, framed by an unruly, sweat-matted mass of hair strewn across the pillow.  She remembered how much she had always loved Emily's look in the aftermath; it spurred her on.  Nimble fingers teased her crest and her breasts, adding an extra dimension to her pleasure.  She fell heavily when she came.

Her orgasm was overpowering.  At its zenith, it burned within her so brightly that she was cognizant of very little else.  As it began to fade, she was roused once more by the kisses on her face and the whispers of loving words.  Their lovemaking had renewed and reinvigorated her; the joy that swept through her heart felt like it was rinsing away the stains.

“I’ve got you.”

“Can this really be happening?”

Impetuously, Shepard rolled them over, maneuvering her thigh between azure legs.  “It’s definitely happening.”

The spectre of a recurring dream she had had over the past two years was evoked.  In the night, Emily would come to her, her feathery touch trailing up the inside of her thigh, her breath against her face.  The hand would come achingly close to the place she craved Emily’s presence.  The spell would break; she would awaken bereft and aroused, a pillow between her legs revealed as the wretched substitute for her lover.

Gripped by the fear that this may yet prove to be nothing more than a dream, she trapped Emily beneath her, covering her body steadfastly with her own as if somehow this might prevent them from being cleaved apart should she wake.  “Let me love you.”

Her lips began a reminiscence with Emily’s face; her eyelids, nose, lips, cheekbones, the dimple in her chin.  She kneaded her breasts, watching in rapt fascination her fingers sinking into the soft flesh as if it were a satin cushion.  How delicate they were would have seemed incongruous if they were on the body of any other soldier, she mused.  The pinkish nipples responded to her every touch.  Her head dipped to kiss them.  Careful not to offend their fragility, her lips brushed them tentatively at first.  Her tongue slid out to greet one, inviting it into her mouth.  She remembered exactly the proper choreography of her tongue, her teeth that would elicit whimpers of pleasure, as if their dance had never been broken.

Her head resting on Emily’s bosom, her attentions turned to the contours running around her breasts, waist, hips and thighs.  The constellations of adorning freckles were carved in her mind.  “I think this is my favourite of all your curves,” she said, the back of her hand following the concave shape that flowed between her hip and her waist.  She sighed contentedly, drinking in the much-missed scent of the woman holding her.  There were several familiar notes; the tinge of Elysium, the perfume Emily liked to wear, an accent to the sweet smell of her skin; the smokiness of battle; the metallic tang from her armour; the provocative musk of arousal.  A sheen of perspiration lay beneath her breasts.  She tasted it.  There could be no doubt any longer; this was no dream, no hallucination, no AI masquerading as flesh and blood.  Every sense that Liara had was saturated with the essence of the woman she loved.

As the vicarious reality settled, she realised the beauty of the moment.  Her Emily was lying naked in front of her, ready to be devoured.  Liara’s pulse quickened, warmth spread throughout her body and the lust tightened the grip on her mind.

Boldly, she spread apart Emily’s legs.  She stroked intimately, the red folds quivering beneath her touch.  Her fingers were welcomed into the velvet, richly surrounded by pulsating desire.  She curled her fingers to find the secret hidden within the smooth walls.  It was still there.  Emily’s whole body tensed and arched and writhed in delight.  Still inside, she bent down to kiss her lips, the hollow in her neck, the space between her breasts, her navel, her belly, the damp thatch of hair.  The scent was now so heavy in the air she could already taste it.  She let out a cool breath, which rustled the hair she had just kissed.  She paused, aware of the eyes focused on her, silently pleading to do more.  She looked into them deeply while she covered the trembling flesh with her mouth, her tongue drawing hot circles against the most sensitive region.  

One fair hand clung fiercely to the headboard, the other urgently guided her motion through her crest.  The lavish indulgences of her hands and her mouth brought upon a thunderous denouement.  She felt it almost as intensely; the walls surrounding her fingers beat furiously with each ripple of orgasm, her chin and tongue coated by an onrush of wetness, legs clamped around her head.

Swaddled in her arms, sleep had come quickly to Shepard.  She lay there next to her, for a long time just listening to her breathing.  For two years, she had been unable to sleep because the bed next to her was empty, yet now that she wasn’t alone anymore, sleep still eluded her.  Full of restless energy and a creeping desire to nudge Emily awake, she carefully prised herself away.

She sat on the window sill, hugging her knees to her chest.  The light from Sowilo cast long shadows into the cabin.  The meld was now in the process of fading; the thoughts and feelings of the woman now sleeping were retreating, like the tide going out to sea.  She brought her knees closer, as if in so doing, she could somehow hold onto the meld for a little longer.  Like sand dripping between her fingers, Emily’s presence was leaving her mind.  She felt the same grief she always felt when it finally slipped from her grasp.  At the same time, Shepard stirred, searching for her.  Did she feel the same loss?

Finding the space next to her sadly empty, she sat up and rubbed her eyes, peering around the room.  “Hey, what are you doing there?”

“I couldn’t sleep.”

Shepard approached the naked silhouette.  She sat behind her, and stroked her temples.  “Something on your mind?”

Liara chuckled.  “A few small things.”

“You can tell me.”

It was strange to hear that aloud.  For the past years, Liara had poured her heart out to her mind’s image of Shepard, she had to keep reminding herself that this Shepard, the real one, didn’t know her every thought as soon as it occurred.  “Where do we go from here?”

“Back to bed?”

Liara smiled almost in spite of herself.  Deadpan was something only the real Shepard indulged in.  “I meant what happens to us.”

“I know what I want.”

Liara pulled freckle-smattered arms into a tight circle around her waist.

“Yes, this is pretty much it.”

“Pretty much?”

“Uh huh.”  Shepard sighed contentedly.

“Tell me more.”

“I want to be with you.  I want to wake up next to you.  I want it all.  Marriage, old age and a lot of little blue children.”

Liara twisted around to face Shepard, her mouth falling open at the  blasé  declaration.

“You don’t believe me?”

“I- I believe you.”  Liara smoothed down Shepard’s hair.  “I want the same things.”  

“Then let’s make them happen.”

“Bond with me.”

She was aware of the significance bonding had in asari culture in general, and from the way Liara had talked about it previously, bonding was especially meaningful to her.  A tear of joy tumbled down her cheek as she nodded.

Their lips drew closer, magnetically, in a symbolic kiss to seal their union.  A mutual reluctance to part was reinforced with each moment they lingered upon one another, with each moment their breaths continued to fuse together.  

“What do you need me to do?”

“Kiss me again.”

“I can definitely do that.”

With one hand delicately under her crest and another on her back, she dipped Liara like a ballroom dancer, holding her in that position for a few seconds, admiring every facial detail of her lover.  Eyes ultimately fell on the barely opened lips, their anticipation fueling the desire to seal them with her own, planting the sweetest kiss.

Somehow they were on the bed.  The atmosphere flickered with nervous tension, even more so than the first time they made love.  Liara tucked an errant strand of red hair behind Shepard’s ear.  “We will become a part of each other, forever.  Are you sure this is what you want?”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything.”

Two consciousnesses blended together.  Thoughts, feelings, memories, experiences, flowed freely, both minds concurrently acting as siphon and reservoir.  Like a kaleidoscope, an image would focus for a moment, blurring seamlessly into the next.  A woman in yellow.  A boy, barely a man, breathing his last breath.  An explosion in space.  An asari, trapped, separated by a forcefield from the woman trying to free her.  The images accelerated faster and faster, like the view from a train pulling out of the station. The speed reached an infernal pace, the vast quantity of information being exchanged overloaded neural pathways and specifics were no longer recognized.

Two lifetimes shared in a passage of minutes.  Two lives gave birth to a new life.  What had once belonged to  one , now belonged to  them.  Biotic energy undulated around the naked bodies, the temperature of the room rising to match their passion.

Liara, utterly surrendered to her aching desire, forged their bond through pure instinct.  She had held her breath for two years.  She would not stop until she had explored every facet of Shepard and shared every one of her own.  Every cell, molecule, memory was interrogated, sampled, caressed.  She swam in her lover’s spirit with the intensity, desperation and wild abandon of someone drowning and gasping for air.  She held nothing back; all of her energy was expended on fostering the bond.

Liara was in every fibre of her body.  It was beyond everything else she had ever experienced: relentless, powerful, incredible, perhaps even a little dangerous, but she wanted it all.  She gave herself over completely.

Their emotions and thoughts entangled and fused, it was no longer possible to discern where one mind ended and the other began.  Everything was a tumultuous jumble.  The flow of memories and feelings had turned into a cascade.  Random fragments of experience and emotion were deposited like a breccia.  The fragments were confusing, displaced, derived from multiple origins, but if one looked closer, one could see the matrix that bound them together and gave them cohesion.  It was the love they shared, glinting and glittering like precious metal.  No matter how sharply edged a fragment was, it was comfortably embedded, as integral a part as any other.

Their senses and perceptions worked in unison, distilling reality and feeding each of the lovers, what the other felt.  Their bodies crashed together into a magnificent sensual experience that could only be described as perfect.  Waves of pleasure crested and broke, over and over and over.

An orgasm surged through Shepard, or was it Liara?  It didn’t matter, even the tiniest sensation was mirrored, an infinite echo, increasing in amplitude on each reflection.  Each time one body would call out in pleasure, it would be immediately answered by its partner.  A whisper became a hum, became a deafening roar, its wake leaving them at the cusp of exhaustion.  A sliver of light pierced the bond; it was the flashpoint of the most intense, profound and moving orgasm they had ever experienced.  Toes curled from the overwhelming sensation.  They lay in the eye of a biotic hurricane: strands of energy flew around the room unceremoniously ousting everything from its proper place, while intermittent flashes of blue lightning vividly illuminated the couple. The power was enough to disrupt the grid sustaining this part of the Normandy, causing it to splutter in fits and starts.

They collapsed onto the bed.

“Liara?” Shepard panicked, noticing the stillness of her form.  She shook her, lightly.  No response.  She tried again ,  concern and uncertainty filling her heart.  Liara’s eyes blinked open, she flung her arms around her neck and pulled her down into a kiss.  “Are you okay,” she managed between kisses, “you passed out.”

“I’m fine.  But  you did, and the joining transferred it to me”

“I, uh, what?”

“The bonding.  I feel what you feel.  You fainted,” she explained, actually a little pleased with herself for eliciting such a reaction.

Shepard shook her head, trying to process it all.  “That was amazing!  You are amazing!  I thought you were exaggerating when you said that bonding can be a ‘life-changing’ event.  If anything, that’s an understatement.”

Although she had read about asari bonding, and caught fragments of conversations about such things in the past, nothing prepared her for the reality of the experience.  “I didn’t know how wonderful it is.  I adore you.”

“I can feel so much.  My head is bursting.  I can’t make sense of it all.”  Shepard clutched at the air, like she was trying to find something tangible to hold on to.

“It’s okay,” came the soothing reply.  “It will take time for both of us to understand everything we shared.  We, Asari, call it  athera ; the feeling of being overwhelmed and disoriented after bonding.”

“So you don’t understand everything yet either?”

“No, not everything will click right away.  I have read that it is usually the most intense memories and experiences that are integrated into the bond first.”

“ Athera , huh.”

“Maybe it is even more pronounced for you than it is for me.  You did receive a few more years of experiences than I did.  How are you feeling?”

“I feel… I don’t feel like myself.  I feel  better than myself.”

“Better?”

“Give me your hand.”  She smiled at the sight of their intertwined fingers.  “I can feel myself holding your hand, just like I could before.  But now I can feel you holding my hand too.  When I look into your eyes, I see you, but I see me as well.  I don’t think I’m explaining this very well.”

“What do you see?”

“See?  I see… No, I  feel that you love me.  Which means that you must feel the same.”

“Yes.”

Shepard lay contemplatively for a while.  She had rushed headlong into this bonding without knowing all that much about it.  She wouldn’t change a thing.  “Will it always feel like this?  Or will it fade over time, like a meld?”

“As long as the bondmates have feelings towards one another, the connection will never fade, in fact it will become stronger over time.  We are a part of each other now.  In our romantic literature, it is believed that hearing the thoughts of one’s bondmate is possible.”

“Telepathy?”

“I’m not sure.  I’ve never experienced it, before.”  She smiled wryly.  “Scientific journals describe it like a transfer of empathy, an avenue of filtering reality through the conscience of the bondmate.”

“Sounds like much more than telepathy.”

“Does it?  Let’s give it a try.”  The fingers of her right hand trailed the contour of Shepard’s body, from her knees, to her thighs, across her ribcage and to her chest, where it finally rested between her breasts.

She felt the warmth of the blue hand, the journey it went through and the beating of her own heart, as experienced by it.  But she felt something else, something much more powerful than the sensation of touch.  They were Liara’s thoughts, like a thousand whispers flowing into her mind.  Her emotions; and the warmth and tranquility her beating heart washed Liara with.  She felt submerged in an immense ocean of love, yet, she felt safe, with no risk of drowning, as the liquid itself was the medium for her sustenance.  As Liara lay her head on her chest, the intensity of her emotions became overpowering.  She felt she could pass out if she were to lose focus for a single moment.

With her head still resting on Shepard’s chest, the velvet voice asked “So, what do you think?”

“I...” Her voice crumbled.  Because she couldn’t concentrate on words anymore.  Because she no longer needed them.  Instead, she let her own sensations inundate Liara’s mind.  Silence.  And in that silence, the purest expression of love was made.  In that dark cabin, in the faint light of the strands of biotic energy that filled the room, a single heart was beating, with the intensity of two.

Shepard woke up, shivering.  Well, half-shivering; Liara had artfully draped herself over one side of her body and kicked all the blankets off the bed, leaving her other side exposed and cold.  She smiled to herself.  Gingerly, so as not to disturb the woman sleeping on her, she attempted to find and retrieve a blanket.

Liara stirred, “Emmie?”

“Shhh, go back to sleep, it’s the middle of the night.”

Liara rubbed her eyes and propped herself up on her elbow.  “I’m not that tired.”

“I’m still tingling,” Shepard whispered, “I’ve never felt anything like this before.”

“Neither have I.”

A few moments of silence passed.

“Liara?”

“Yes?”

“Two years ago, when I went back for Joker-”

“It’s okay.”

“I had to do it, but what you went through... it’s not ‘okay’.  If I could take that away from you, I would.”

Liara sighed and lay on her back, looking up at the ceiling.  “I was so angry with you for such a long time.  I kept thinking how stupid that was, to be angry with you for saving Joker’s life.”

“I know.  I mean, I know how you felt.  I’m sorry.”

“Risking yourself for others is part of who you are.  It’s a part of the person I fell in love with.  But-” she stopped herself.

“Go on, tell me,” Shepard encouraged.

“Please be careful.  The galaxy needs you.  I need you.  Promise me you will try to stay safe?”

“I promise that I will do everything in my power to come home to you.”

Tears pricked at Liara’s eyes.  “I didn’t know how much I needed to hear you say that.”

“Come here,” Shepard said, enveloping her in a close embrace.

The next morning, Shepard stood in front of the aquarium, towelling her hair dry.  She turned when she heard light footsteps behind her.  “Found something you like?”

Liara looked down at the N7 hoodie she was wearing and smile.  “I did.  It smells like you.”  She hugged Shepard, resisting the temptation to unwrap the towel around her body.  Her eyes fell upon the aquarium.  The fish were still gliding gracefully through the water, but she was less envious of them today.  She followed the path of a quick thessian sunfish.  It darted beneath a rock.  She took a sharp intake of breath.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m not sure.  Something about the water made me feel uncomfortable.  I felt like I was trapped underwater.  Like a bad memory.”

“Sit down for a minute.”

“Emmie- I think I’m experiencing one of your memories.  I have this strong sense of my leg being stuck under a rock.”

“Sounds familiar.”

“What happened?”

“At the academy, back when I was a cadet, we had to run this timed assault course as part of our final assessment.  It was called the, uh-”

“The Grinder?”

“Yeah.  That was it.  It was supposed to ‘chew you up and spit you out’.  Anyway, the last element was this underwater section.  The water was all muddy, so you couldn’t see anything, and the passage was narrow and littered with debris.  I got stuck there once, while I had the lead.  My foot caught on something.  I kinda panicked.  I never really liked swimming.”

Liara breathed rapidly, viscerally experiencing the memory.  “You nearly drowned.”

“ Uh huh.”

“But, someone came.  Someone pulled you out.”  Little splinters of memory were coming together like a mosaic, revealing the complete picture.

“I was lucky.”

“But you said the course was timed.  So whoever helped you must have done so knowing it would affect their assessment.”

“She did.”

The rest of the memory played out in her mind.  She felt the sensation of being pulled from the water, of someone breathing life into her, of water being violently coughed from her lungs.  Of being held in someone’s arms and kissed on the forehead.  “She-”

“Her name is Adele.  We were together for a while.”

One of the very first things that she had been taught about bonding was not to feel jealous about a bondmate’s memories.  And yet she had never considered that Emily might have had other romantic partners before her.  As foolish as it was, she felt envious of this other woman.

No bond was required to translate the feelings that played on Liara’s face.  “We dated for a couple of months.  When we graduated, we got posted to different sectors.  It came to a natural conclusion.”

“Were you in love with her?”

Shepard frowned.  It had been years since she’d thought about Adele.  “I cared about her,” she said truthfully.  “What are you really asking me?” she added gently.

Liara’s face scrunched up.  “Will we just… end?”

“I don’t think so.”  Shepard picked over her next words carefully.  “I cannot imagine life without you in it.  I don’t want to imagine life without you in it.”  Suddenly, an emptiness washed over her- an echo from Liara’s memories of the last couple of years.  It made her feel nauseous.  “My feelings for you- the other relationships I’ve had don’t compare.”

Memories and experiences of Adele were losing the fuzz around the edges.  She made Shepard belly-laugh, she was kind and smart, and Shepard enjoyed having sex with her.  But Shepard had not  loved Adele.  When emotions became difficult, she fell back onto science, onto logic.  What, precisely, differentiated her from Adele and Shepard’s other lovers?  There must be something she could measure or quantify.  Something that would guarantee their longevity.  The grinding of mental gears vibrated through their shared connection.

“You are special to me.  I don’t know why I love you- I just do- I think it’s… everything… about you.”  Impishly, she added, “It’s much more surprising that you love me.”

Liara looked shocked and horrified.  “How could I not?”

“That’s exactly how I feel.”  Shepard pressed one of Liara’s hands against her chest, and lifted Liara’s face to look deep into her eyes.  “Trust in us, how we feel about each other.”  She walked to the desk and picked up the tags Liara had returned to her.  “I want you to keep these.  A reminder that we will always find each other,” she said as she placed them in Liara’s hand, squeezing it closed with her own.

“Emmie... I,” Liara reached up and removed her necklace.  “This was the first Prothean artefact I ever found.  I want you to have it, so that a part of me is always with you.”  She fastened it around Shepard’s neck, placing a soft kiss on her freckled shoulder.

“Let’s go and meet the troops.”

 


	2. Consequences

Chapter 2 - Interlude: Consequences

It struck Liara that she had not been among so many people at once for quite some time.  The Normandy’s mess hall was a sea of faces.  She was familiar with each one, having served alongside some, and compiled meticulously detailed dossiers on others.  Not one to miss out on an opportunity to flex her anthropological muscles, she took an unobtrusive position at the end of the table, glancing sideways at her crew.

Jack bumped passed her, setting her tray loudly on the table.  She sat with her legs open, taking as much space as she could.  She was like a wolf - brashly territorial, eager to vie for the alpha position.  Her features were even more angular in the flesh than in the digital images she had collected.  Miranda, the brilliant - and striking - ex-Cerberus Officer deliberately sat on the opposite end of the bench, poised elegantly with a cup of coffee.  Jack’s eyes might have rolled derisively.  The tension between these two was palpable.

Liara’s head bowed automatically when her gaze met Samara - a reflex borne of respect for the Justicar order.  Taking the seat next to her was Mordin the salarian doctor- Liara was suspicious of his murky STG past, though she could find little but altruism in the Omega clinic.  

On the far side of the table, Garrus and Tali were sat close together- she was happy to see both of them.  Tali waved at her- the purple colour behind her visor blooming to a warmer tone.  Other members of the crew shuffled in - Kelly, Thane, Joker, Grunt, Zaeed, Jacob.  Kasumi appeared and disappeared around the room.  Goddess, that could get irritating.

Shepard pressed a warm mug of tea into Liara’s hands and gulped down a double espresso herself.  She addressed the room.  “Thank you for being here so early.  I have a couple of things to say.  First thing - this is Liara T’Soni.  Some of you know her already…”

Jack whistled.  “Some of us really  know her already.”

Shepard didn’t break stride.  “She will be helping disseminate the Shadow Broker databases.  Tali, Kasumi, EDI, I’d like you all to work together on this.”

Kasumi materialised next to Tali.  “Got it, Shep.”

Tali piped up, “I did a preliminary survey of the Shadow Broker’s equipment and-”

Kasumi appeared again.  “Any technology left on the Shadow Broker’s ship…”

“Will remain on the Shadow Broker’s ship,” Liara stated authoritatively.

“The second thing.” 

If anyone had been watching Liara, they would have seen her jaw clench.  “As soon as your team is done with the Shadow Broker’s ship, our orders are to return to Earth.  Alliance Command is holding an inquest into the events at the Alpha Relay.”

The room became still.  “What’s their question - whether you should have invited the Reapers in for cake and biscuits?”  Joker asked sardonically.

“What about the rest of us?”  Jack asked.

“The rest of you will not be involved in the investigation.”

“What does that mean?”  Tali asked, concerned.

“It means the great Commander Shepard is calling it quits.  After I’ve risked my life for her, she’s just walking away.”  Spittle-flecked words spat out of Jack’s mouth.

“You can’t just give up.”  Garrus said.

Liara banged her hands on the table.  “She’s not giving up!”

“Fucking seems like it.”

Liara leaned forward aggressively, with her hands pressed on the table.  Shoulders squared, she brimmed with menace.

“Enough!”  Shepard barked.

Liara’s eyes flashed dangerously, before she remembered where they were, and that Shepard was in command.  Even so, she could not stop herself from correcting Jack.  “Don’t presume to know the whole story.”

“If it affects me, I wanna know.”

Shepard folded her arms across her body.

“Silent treatment?”

The more moderate voices amongst the crew started to speak up, seeking a fuller story than the cursory one they had been furnished with so far.

Shepard stroked her chin and glanced at Liara, irritated that she had been forced into this position, albeit with the most noble of intentions.  “The Batarians hold everyone on board this ship responsible for the deaths of their people.  As the Commander of this vessel, I negotiated with the Council so that I alone will face the repercussions.”

“You can’t do that!” 

“We all went along with your decision, Shepard, it falls on all of us.”

“Speak for yourself, turian.”

“This can’t land on any of you.  The Reapers aren’t done.  We can’t all be out of the game.”

“Maybe you have a point.  We can prepare, brief the Council.”

“Yeah, because listening to us is their strong suit.”

“Enough.  We all signed up to a chain of command.  The buck stops with me - that’s the code we live by.”

“I understand the importance of a code better than anyone.  However, sometimes it is beneficial to explore what lies around the edges of a code.”

“Well said, grandma.”

The chorus of opinions grew and grew.  In the end Shepard simply raised her hand.  “I respect all of you.  But this is how it has to be.  Dismissed.” 

Liara went to Shepard’s cabin.  A soft piano melody played over the stereo - it wasn’t the usual non-descript pop that Shepard had on as background noise.

“This song, what is it?”

“It’s by a human composer called Satie.  Gymnopedie number one,” Shepard said absently, staring out into space.

Liara rested her chin on Shepard’s shoulder, wrapping her arms around her waist.  They swayed gently to the music. “In a few hours you are leaving for Earth.  I may become a ‘creepy recluse’ on the Shadow Broker’s ship.  We could be apart for some time.”

“I am not going to forget about you.”  Shepard poked Liara in the ribs.  “And I won’t let you become a creepy recluse.”

“I don’t know how this is going to work,” Liara said, forlornly.

“It works because I love you and you love me.  I don’t want to be apart from you, but we both know what needs to be done right now.”

A surge of anger bubbled up inside Liara.  “What needs to be done?  What we need is a plan to defeat the Reapers.  What we need is the Alliance and the Council to listen to us.  They have buried their heads in the sand for years.  Their inaction could cost countless lives.  The galaxy’s best chance for developing a plan is you, but the Alliance is taking you away from the battle, taking you away from me, to follow procedure.  It is a farce.”

Shepard looked down.  “What I did caused a catastrophic loss of life,” she said, very quietly.

Liara scooped her up into her arms.  “There was no alternative.  You bought the galaxy more time.  Even now, we are underprepared.  Imagine if the Reapers had swarmed through the Alpha Relay then?  We may not even be standing here.”

“I know that.  I believe that.  But what I had to - it cannot just pass without judgement.  It’s the right thing to do.”

“You shouldn’t have to.”

“I want to,” Shepard said.  “I need to.”

“I’ll miss you,” Liara said.  It was all she could say.

Shepard pressed one of Liara’s hands against her chest, and lifted Liara’s face to look deep into her eyes.  “Trust in us, how we feel about each other.”  She walked to the desk and picked up the tags Liara had returned to her.  “I want you to keep these.  A reminder that we will always find each other,” she said as she placed them in Liara’s hand, squeezing it closed with her own.

“Emmie... I,” Liara reached up and removed her necklace.  “This was the first Prothean artefact I ever found.  I want you to have it, so that a part of me is always with you.”  She fastened it around Shepard’s neck, placing a soft kiss on her freckled shoulder.

 


	3. Grounded

Chapter 3 Interlude - Grounded

 

It had been six months since she’d said goodbye to Liara.  After the inquiry into the destruction of the Alpha Relay, Alliance Command had relieved her of duty.  Privately, she had been given the support of Alliance Command, publicly, the loss of the Batarian worlds could not simply pass with no consequence.  She was grounded.  Imprisoned.  Imprisoned in a well-appointed apartment with every luxury one could think of, but strip back the plush furniture and it was simply a cell.  

It was the toughest time of her career - hand to hand combat with a thresher maw would be easier than sitting out the fight.  Every day she’d check the dispatches on the Alliance Defence Network.  Every day she’d recognise a name on the KIA list - someone from the academy, or one of her earlier postings.  Each day would bring fresh regret.  Liara kept her going.  Every few days, a delivery  compliments of the Shadow Broker would arrive at her door; small gifts meant to palliate the predicament Shepard was in.  Drellian bubble bath, hard to acquire comics (some of a risque nature), and plenty of naughty delicacies.  Shepard patted a few slightly expanding areas of softness on her body; the effect of her now-sedentary lifestyle and self-medicating with salted caramels.  They talked almost every day through a video link.  It wasn’t enough, but neither of them could have done without it.  Liara kept her up to date on the less transparent behind-the-scenes politics in the galaxy.  Shepard had never doubted that Liara would be successful as the Shadow Broker, but she was proud at just how successful she was.

 

Shepard smiled at the chirruping sound of an incoming call.

“Hello.”

“Hey,” Shepard said, touching the screen.

“How was your day?”

“It’s been pretty quiet.  I hooked up with Aria and we took Omega back.  Afterlife is in a bit of a state, not that you’d notice the difference.”

Liara raised an eyebrow.  “Really.”

“No.  I lay in the sun all day.  At one point, I had to take evasive action from a mean-looking wasp.  I’m going stir crazy.  Do people really live like this?”

“A few have been known to.”

“I’m getting fat,” Shepard patted her stomach.  “I need to be doing  something ,” she exhaled, cracking her knuckles together.

“You are not fat.  You’re gorgeous,” Liara said objectively.  “I wish I could hold you right now.   Fall asleep with my head in your shoulder, cuddling up to you.”  She sighed.

“This sucks.”  Shepard rested her face on her hands glumly.  “Tell me something, anything to distract me from how far away you are right now, please.”

“Want to hear about the reports of Reaper sightings in turian space?”

“Hmm, maybe something a little less exciting?”

“I am convinced that the prothean design in the archive is for a weapon.”

“A weapon?  That’s good news.”

“Yes.  We’re still in the preliminary research phase however.  But none of the other theories can accommodate the peripheral heat distribution patterns and the concentric design of the inner axial systems.  Not only that but…” 

“Liara?  You’re geeking out on me.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“Have you made any friends at the archive?”

“Friends?”

“Don’t tell me you’re being creepy and reclusive.” Shepard smiled.

Liara smiled back.  “I take my meals in the public canteen.”

Shepard leaned closer to the screen, her necklace dangled outside her shirt.  “I miss you.”

Liara leaned closer too.  She kissed her fingertips and touched the screen.  “I miss you, too.”

Shepard absent-mindedly played with the chain.  When her thumb brushed the pendant, something happened.  Surprised, she released the necklace.

“What was that?”

“You felt that too?” Shepard asked.

“Like you were in the room with me.”

“It happened when I-” Shepard held the pendant again.  “I don’t understand.  I love it, but I don’t understand.”

Liara closed her eyes.  Emily was caressing her through their bond; she didn’t think it was possible over this distance, especially considering that Emily was a human.  “It is the bond between us,” she sighed.

“You’re on Mars!”

Liara opened one eye and smiled.  “But my thoughts are with you.  In some of our most romantic literature, there are stories of bonds that traverse the heavens.  But to experience such a thing in real life!  The necklace must be focusing your feelings, like a lightning rod.”  Liara took the necklace she had made from Shepard’s dog tags outside her uniform and held it tightly.

Now Shepard closed her eyes.  She settled back on the sofa.  Somehow, they had reached out across space and held each other.  There were no physical laws that could explain it; it simply was.

“Emily.”

“You’ve gotta go.” Shepard stated resignedly.

“The newly appointed head of the Prothean Research Division, Doctor Coré, wishes to compare notes on the blueprint.  She seems capable, if somewhat aloof.  She’s very interested in my theory.  I’ll speak to you tomorrow?”

“You’d better.”

“I love you.”

Liara’s image faded from the screen.  Shepard got a beer from the refrigeration unit.  She flicked the cap off and leaned against the wall.  She touched the necklace again.   I love you, too.

I know.


	4. It Begins

The first action Shepard had seen for months was a Reaper looming over the Vancouver skyline. In all honesty, she’d have preferred a bit of a warm up before hell broke loose, but such is life, she mused. The only silver lining of the attack on Earth that she could cling to was that it meant she was back in command of the Normandy - the newest iteration of it, at least, considering the ample modifications made by the Alliance. “How long before this one blows up?” she deadpanned. Her new companions - Lieutenant James Vega and the newly promoted Lieutenant Commander Ashley Williams - gave her a befuddled look.

Suppressing an eye-roll at her companions’ lack of wit, she relished the feeling of being the Commander again: she had a chance to actually do something to stop the Reapers. While it pained her greatly to see the Earth under assault, she knew - as Anderson knew - that humanity just did not have the firepower to stop them.

Even as the Reapers were slicing through the Vancouver metropolitan area, Shepard knew she had to get to Liara. Immediately. Even if Liara wasn’t the galaxy’s foremost expert on the Protheans, who had deciphered a potential god killing weapon within the Prothean Archive, Shepard would go to her anyway. Liara just so happened to be the best option for the galaxy.

“This is Commander Shepard. All hands to stations. Joker, lay in a course for Mars,” she announced over the comm - her first command on her newish ship.

“Mars?” Ashley and Vega chorused.

“I’m not running from a fight,” Vega said. He was a hulk of a man and towered over Shepard.  “Give me a shuttle, I’m going back down to Earth.”

“You have your orders.”

“You’re not my commanding officer,” he said, squaring up to Shepard. Shepard softened her tone, but did not surrender an inch. “Look, I know you’re upset. But humanity can’t fight the Reapers alone. We need to get help if we’re going to have any chance of defeating them.”

Vega eyeballed her for a while, and she stared straight back at him. “You’re right.” he said finally, backing off.

“Ash?”

“I’m along for the ride, too. What’s on Mars?”

“The Prothean Archive. Liara T’Soni has discovered blueprints for a Prothean weapon that we could use against the Reapers.”

“Sounds great. No wait, didn’t the Protheans get decimated by the Reapers?” Vega snarked as he skulked around the cargo bay.

“So while our planet burns, we’re going on an archaeological expedition, and it just so happens your girlfriend will be there too,” Ashley said sarcastically.

“Watch your tone, Williams,” Shepard flared. “We’re not going to win this war with an assault rifle and a prayer,” she directed to both of them. “I am in command of this ship. If you can’t follow my orders, I’ll put you in the brig until we can drop you off at an Alliance base. What’s it going to be?”

Ashley stood ramrod straight. “Sorry, Ma’am. I was outta line.”

“Vega?”

“You’re the boss,” he said, clucking his tongue.

“Oh, and Lieutenant Vega?” Shepard’s tone changed. “The Protheans were annihilated by the Reapers, which means they were completely destroyed. Not decimated, which means ten percent of their forces would have been wiped out. Understood?”

“Understood.”

“Get your gear and be ready to hit the ground running. Dismissed.”

As soon as the shuttle doors opened on the red planet, Shepard could sense Liara’s presence on the planet- their bond was powerful- she was alive. Even with this certitude, the relief that washed over her when Liara gracefully dropped out of an air vent was immense. Reflexively, Vega’s weapon trained on Liara.

“Easy there Lieutenant,” Shepard pointed the barrel of Vega’s gun away from Liara, “she’s with me.”

She allowed herself a brief embrace with Liara, ignoring the poorly-camouflaged harrumph from Ashley.

“I brought Ash and Vega up to speed on the weapon design you found here. I’m guessing that blueprint is why Cerberus are sniffing around.”

“I assume so. There are a lot of them in the base. Getting the data from the archive will be difficult, but we cannot let Cerberus take it.”

“How did they know about the weapon?” Ashley asked.

“When the attack began, the distress signal was not activated. I assume that Cerberus had an agent here. That would explain how they know about the prothean weapon and their knowledge of the security protocols of this facility,” Liara suggested.

Ashley raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

While Liara overrode the computer lockout Cerberus had set up, Ashley played the most recent security log. “Oh my God. Shepard, look at this.”

Liara looked up at the monitor. “Goddess! That’s Dr Eva Coré.”

“You mentioned her.”

“She was here working on the same blueprints. I should have checked her credentials myself... I’ve just been so focused on gathering the data from the archive... I’m sorry.”

Ashley rolled her eyes.

They forged onwards to the Archive.

“Ash, set up a perimeter. Liara, can you access the information?”

As Liara tapped commands into the console, a holographic projection appeared - the Illusive Man.

“Shepard. I’ve been expecting you.” The projection took a drag from a cigarette. “This archive is a marvel, isn’t it? The Protheans had the plans for a weapon capable of destroying the Reapers. To think that the Alliance has been sitting on that knowledge for decades.”

Ignoring the Illusive Man, Shepard looked at the console Liara was working at. “Anything?”

“Cerberus have locked out this system too. I am attempting to circumvent their restrictions.”

“I see you’ve been reunited with Doctor T’Soni. Shepard, you and I want the same thing. We both want the best for humanity.”

“Are the husk-things I found inside Cerberus uniforms your idea of what’s best for humanity?” Shepard responded, disgusted.

The Illusive Man flicked some ash from the end of the cigarette. “They are superior. All humans should have the same opportunity to be uplifted. What might have taken evolution many millennia could be achieved in a single generation. Help me, Shepard.”

“I’m here to stop the Reapers, not become one.”

“I’m afraid I cannot permit you to stop them. Not now. I have found a way to control them. I can use their power to aid humanity,” he grew more animated as he spoke.

“You are going to control an entire race that has wiped out all advanced civilisations in the galaxy, cycle upon cycle? Forgive me if I find your strategy unlikely,” Liara sniffed, not looking up from the console.

“It’s already being done. And with Shepard’s help there would be no room for failure,” the Illusive Man assured, flattering Shepard.

“I will not help you.”

The Illusive Man looked at Shepard with a curious mixture of emotions. “Fine. But I warn you: stay out of my way.” He took a final puff of the cigarette before stubbing it out. “Oh, and Doctor T’Soni, you’re wasting your time.” The holo-image faded.

“The data on the weapon- it’s not all here. Someone is deleting it,” Liara exclaimed.

“Can you stop them?”

“I have downloaded what I could, but the record is incomplete.”

A commotion in the far corner of the room caught their attention. “Shepard, over here!” Ashley yelled, chasing the woman Liara had previously identified as Eva Coré. The pursuit ended on the roof - revealing Coré to be a synthetic construct, which was impervious to bullets and biotics. Shepard could only watch as Ashley was slammed against a shuttle like a rag doll by Coré. It took the force of Vega’s shuttle crashing into this creature to render it inoperable.

Back on board the Normandy, a stricken Ashley was rushed to the medbay.

“What the hell was that, Lieutenant?” Shepard demanded, inwardly furious about Vega’s stunt that bore all the hallmarks of a deathwish.

Vega had the immobilised body of AI masquerading as Eva Coré in a fireman’s lift. He shrugged, causing Coré’s limbs to sway. “Hey, I stopped her escaping with the archive stuff. What you wanted, right?”

“Flying into that shuttle was an unacceptable risk.”

“Shepard, we need this data,” Liara said.

“Vega, secure that thing in the hangar. And I will see you in the War Room at 1500 hours. Dismissed.”

Shepard shot a look at Liara.

“He made the right call.”

“It doesn’t matter. There was something else going on there. I am in command.”

Liara was taken aback- years of working alone with no one to answer to, having to make snap decisions- she was unaccustomed to being commanded. “It would have been a disaster if she had escaped with that information,” Liara paused to keep herself even. “But you are right. I am sorry for questioning your command.”

“It’s okay, we all need a bit of readjustment. Can you work out what that thing is?”

“I can try. Is there anyone on board who is technically minded?”

“I believe I have some insight into artificial intelligences.”

Liara chuckled. “I meant in addition to you, EDI.”

“I’m going to check on Ash and report in. Keep me in the loop.” Shepard got halfway to the cargo bay door. She turned on her heels. “Liara, I’m glad you’re here.”

Even to the untrained eye, it was obvious Ashley was in bad shape. She needed more than the Normandy medbay. Shepard weighed her options; it just so happened that the best thing for Ashley was also the best thing to do. The Citadel. It was the only logical stop. She might get the Council to listen to her this time, heed the warnings. Surely the fate of the Defence Committee would serve as a call to arms for the other Council worlds.

Shepard laid a hand on Ashley’s shoulder. She knew Ashley harboured reservations about her loyalty, but she was a good soldier, one they would need.

“Joker, lay in a course to The Citadel.”

“Aye, aye, Commander.”

Liara came to find Shepard in the QEC room. “The Cerberus machine had stored the complete Prothean archive, including her own research. EDI is extracting the data now. I will be ready to present all the details about the weapon to the Council.”

“A weapon, huh.” Shepard loosened her neck.

“Bad news?”

“Yeah. Apparently, the Reapers have invaded Earth,” Shepard replied sardonically, pushing past Liara to get to the CIC.

Liara followed Shepard. “I know the situation is desperate, but I believe this weapon could stop the Reapers.”

“You didn’t see what they did to Earth. Before most people knew what was happening, they’d turned Vancouver into a heap of smoking rubble. What use is a single weapon against a galactic invasion force?”

“If I’ve understood the data correctly, this weapon is immensely powerful- more powerful than we can conceive. You haven’t even seen the data.”

“If you’ve understood it. If we can build the damn thing before we’re all dead. If, if, if.”

Liara tugged on Shepard’s elbow, spinning her around in her tracks. “I don’t have all the answers, but the Protheans left a very clear message in the archive that this weapon would be the key to winning the war against the Reapers.” She corrected herself. “No, they went further than that- this weapon would destroy the Reapers. They were willing to sacrifice their last resources for its construction.”

“Then it’s a shame they’re not here to tell us that themselves.”

There was no time for Shepard to be petulant and sullen, Liara refused to indulge it. “Focus. We have to try.”

Shepard didn’t respond. Her eyes glazed over as they stared into the abyss. The beam that destroyed Alliance Command had been a whisker away from consigning her to oblivion too. All those who perished on Earth- why hadn’t she been among them? How was she supposed to lead the charge against the things that had levelled whole cities in minutes. The odds seemed insurmountable.

“Emily.” The voice was sharp. “We are not defeated until we believe we are.” Liara’s eyes burned bright with determination and spirit. They were calling her back from the abyss.

Military history classes at the academy flashed through her mind. Insurmountable odds had been faced by leaders time and time again. Sometimes they had been overturned by ingenuity, like the Greeks during the battle of Troy. Sometimes they had been overturned by an iron discipline, like the Romans during the Battle of Watling Street or by sheer indefatigable spirit, like the battle of Marathon. They all seemed hopeless, and yet none of these underdogs gave in. And neither should she, she surmised.

Liara continued her attempt to jolt Shepard back to life. “This may be hopeless. This weapon may prove just a wild goose chase. These might be our last days together. We might die and no one will ever remember us-”

Shepard took Liara’s hands. “We are going to fight until the last of us draws the last breath. We will leave a scar, so bright, in their collective memory that they will forever avoid the place where we made our last stand.”

Liara brought their hands together, as if binding a covenant. “And you will lead us.”

Shepard took a moment to admire Liara’s courage, how far she had come since they first met. She couldn’t remember the last time someone else had been the one to reassure her, to instill hope when it seemed hopeless. She reached out and stroked Liara’s cheek tenderly. “You’re absolutely right.” Shepard adjusted her uniform, literally pulling herself together.

Vega arrived and stood at attention. “Reporting as ordered, Commander.”

“Admiral Hackett is in command of Alliance forces. Our orders are to build the strongest force we can and lead them back to Earth to stand against the Reapers.”

“Commander, what’s the situation on Earth?”

“Bloodied, but not beaten. We’ve lost a lot of people, but we are still in control of Earth. Admiral Anderson is coordinating the troops. It is imperative that we secure the biggest, strongest force we can to help them. They are counting on us.”

“What’s our play?”

“The Prothean weapon.”

“The what now?”

With a nod from Shepard, Liara explained. “The archives contained a blueprint for a weapon that will destroy the Reapers.”

“I like the sound of that.”

“We need to build it first.”

“I don’t like the sound of that so much.”

Shepard took over. “Our best chance is to get help from the rest of the galaxy. We need troops and firepower, but we also need scientists, engineers and materials for the Prothean weapon. We’re going to arrive at the Citadel shortly. Liara, I need you to work with EDI and get a report on the Prothean weapon prepared for to the Council.”

“Yes, Commander. The Alliance is already in possession of the blueprints for the weapon and its importance in the war effort has been acknowledged. Construction efforts are underway, but if we collaborate with the other Council races, we can finish the weapon in considerably less time.”

“I’ll petition the Council to send military aid.”

“The Turian army packs helluva punch,”

“Agreed. Vega, I’ll need you to procure armaments and supplies.”

“I’ve made an inventory of all the weaponry on the Normandy. I know what we need. Steve Cortez will know where to get it.”

“Good work, James,” Shepard acknowledged, impressed that he had shown initiative.

“Lieutenant, I will see that you have access to the necessary funds.”

“Thank you, Doctor T’Soni.”

“I’ve arranged the transfer of Ash to Huerta Memorial as soon as we dock. Any questions?” Shepard looked between the two. “Vega - dismissed.”

Shepard leaned heavily against a console, loosening the collar on her uniform, as though she was removing the mantle of command. Liara thought how much smaller, more fragile she looked. She laid a hand over Shepard’s.

“That went well,” Liara said.

“There’s a way to go. We’re not quite a crew yet.”

“But we will be. You’ve done it before.”

Shepard smiled wearily. “Third time’s a charm.” She laced her fingers with Liara’s. “I missed you.”

They held each other for quite some time, not speaking, simply letting their touch remember how they used to fit together and discover how they best fit together now. The subtle changes that overlaid the familiar scent and warmth were reassuring for Shepard - she had never quite shaken the fear that she was a VI resurrection living in some type of sim at the Illusive Man’s pleasure. Liara’s breasts felt slightly fuller against her body, her tentacles seemed a shade lighter than she remembered, but the way her smile reached her eyes was just the same as it ever was.

Shepard stretched out her hands, palms upturned and smiled. Liara laid her hands on top. Whatever else had changed, this was still them.

“I should get back to the medbay.”

“Okay.”

Liara was halfway out the door when Shepard rushed to her and pulled her back. She kissed her passionately, struggling to hold back the full intensity of her feelings given the proximity of the bridge crew. Liara was left with no doubt about Shepard’s desire, physically wrenching herself away was extremely difficult, she kissed her one last time on the lips - light but lingering.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”


End file.
